The Athame: a Question of Style

This question was sent to me through my email at my website. In this letter the question is asked about ritual tools, and the traditional style of the Athame that is used in Satanic Ritual.

“I recently picked up an Athame, chrome blade, black handle but with silver pommel on the end of the handle. Is this okay for satanic ritual use, or does the whole thing have to be black from the “hilt” – handle end.”

I am not going to say that there is a particular style of Athame that gives the best results. The idea is to find something that personally suits you, no matter what style it is. It just so happens that some Satanists, like myself, prefer the aesthetic look of black when it comes to ritual equipment.

I have an Athame that is entirely black, with a black carbon Japanese steel Tanto blade. It was given to me as a gift, and to me it is really symbolic. I did not get to choose the style of Athame that I wanted, but I f I had, I would have no doubt been drawn to one that had a black hilt. Its a very simple blade but its all that I require.

When it comes to choosing an Athame, the idea is to find one that suits your needs and desires, but also make sure that it serves a practical use, for magic.

This is true for any ritual instrument, it should be something practical that is also going to fit your personality. It becomes a tool of magic as you learn how to work with it. This means creating a ritual to consecrate it for ritual use, and also using your Athame during spells and ritual work so that you can reap the benefits of using a magical instrument in your practices.

See my essay, Ritual Tools of the Art of Magic